JP2019051723A - Ink supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an ink supply container capable of appropriately refilling ink to ink tanks, and an ink supply system including such an ink supply container and an adapter for ink refilling used for such the ink supply system.SOLUTION: An ink supply container 63 comprises: a container body part 64 having an ink storage chamber 76; an ink outlet formation part 66 being provided at an end part of the container body part and formed with an ink outlet 65 enabling outflow of ink from an inside of the ink storage chamber; and a valve 74 being provided at the ink outlet formation part and sealing the ink outlet in an openable/closable manner. The ink outlet formation part comprises a positioning part 73 at a position at an outside thereof and being closer to a container body part side than the valve in a central axis direction of the ink outlet. The positioning part is brought into contact with a part of an ink tank side and performs positioning of the valve to ink tanks when the valve is opened for ink refilling to ink tanks 41 to 45.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank that stores ink supplied to a recording apparatus, an ink supply system that includes such an ink supply container, and such an ink supply system. The present invention relates to an ink replenishing adapter used in the above.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink tank in which ink is stored is connected to a recording apparatus that performs recording by discharging ink onto a medium in a state where ink can be supplied. In such a recording apparatus, when the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank becomes small, ink is replenished to the ink tank from the outside using an ink replenishing container (for example, Patent Document 1). .

JP 2001-146021 A

  By the way, ink replenishment work for the ink tank needs to be performed appropriately while suppressing ink replenishment failure. Conventionally, such replenishment work has been performed by the user of the recording apparatus. Therefore, in order to appropriately perform such ink replenishment work by the user, for example, further improvement has been demanded in the ink replenishing container and the like.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an ink supply container that can appropriately supply ink to an ink tank, an ink supply system including such an ink supply container, and such an ink. An object of the present invention is to provide an adapter for ink supply used in a supply system.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above-described problems and the effects thereof will be described.
An ink supply container that solves the above problem is an ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank that can store ink therein, and a container main body having an ink storage chamber that can store ink supplied to the ink tank. An ink outlet forming portion provided at an end portion of the container main body portion and formed with an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink containing chamber, and provided in the ink outlet forming portion. A valve that seals the outlet in an openable / closable manner, and the ink outlet forming portion is outside the ink outlet forming portion and closer to the container body portion than the valve in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet. A positioning portion at a position where the valve is opened, and the positioning portion contacts the part on the ink tank side when the valve is opened to position the valve with respect to the ink tank. .

  According to this configuration, when the ink is supplied from the ink supply container to the ink tank, the valve is opened while being positioned with respect to the ink tank. Therefore, there is a possibility that the valve may be displaced when the valve is opened. Problems such as ink leakage and ink supply failure can be suppressed, and ink can be appropriately supplied to the ink tank.

  In the ink supply container, the valve is opened when one or more slits are provided in an elastic member that seals the ink outlet, and the slit is pushed and expanded from the outside to the inside of the ink outlet. It is preferable that it is the structure.

According to this configuration, an ink supply container having a simple structure can be provided with a small number of parts.
Further, in the ink supply container, it is preferable that the positioning portion is provided so as to be positioned on the outer side in the radial direction of the ink outlet when the ink outlet is viewed in the direction of the central axis.

  According to this configuration, when ink is supplied from the ink supply container to the ink tank, the ink supply container comes into contact with a part of the ink tank side in a state where the positioning portion is located outside the ink outlet in the radial direction. Therefore, ink can be supplied in a stable posture.

In the ink supply container, it is preferable that the positioning portion is formed of a separate member from the ink outlet forming portion.
According to this configuration, the positioning unit can be optimized in accordance with the design mode of the ink tank and the ink supply container.

  On the other hand, an ink supply system that solves the above problems includes an ink storage chamber that can store ink, a needle that has a flow path that communicates the inside and the outside of the ink storage chamber, and a direction in which the needle extends. A receiving surface extending in a direction intersecting with a direction in which the needle extends at a position outside the tip of the needle, and the receiving surface forms the part on the ink tank side, An ink replenishing container, and the ink replenishing container abuts the positioning portion against the receiving surface when the needle inserts the tip into the ink outlet and opens the valve.

  According to this configuration, when the valve of the ink tank is inserted into the ink outlet of the ink supply container to open the valve, the positioning portion of the ink supply container contacts the receiving surface of the ink tank so that the valve and the needle are relatively Therefore, the valve can be appropriately opened by the needle, and the occurrence of ink replenishment failure can be suppressed.

  In the ink replenishment system, the ink tank has a concave portion that opens in a direction in which the needle extends in a region that is outside the needle in a radial direction centered on the needle. It is preferable that a region that is outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet has a convex portion that can be fitted with the concave portion when the needle is inserted into the ink outlet.

  According to this configuration, since the needle is not inserted into the ink outlet when the convex portion of the ink supply container does not fit into the concave portion of the ink tank, incompatible connection between the ink tank and the ink supply container can be suppressed.

  Further, in the ink supply system, the ink supply container is positioned outside the ink outlet forming portion and at a position closer to the container body portion than the convex portion in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet. It is preferable to provide a part.

  According to this configuration, inadequate connection between the ink tank and the ink supply container can be suppressed, and the insertion of the ink tank needle with respect to the ink outlet of the ink supply container can be ensured in an appropriate positioning state.

In the ink supply system, it is preferable that the tip of the needle is positioned closer to the ink storage chamber than the receiving surface.
According to this configuration, since the tip of the ink tank needle does not protrude outward from the receiving surface, even when the ink is attached to the tip of the needle, the ink can be refilled by the user who performs the ink supply operation. The possibility of adhering to the ink supply container can be reduced.

  In the ink supply system, the ink tank includes two flow paths in which the flow paths of the needles are arranged side by side in a radial direction with a distal end opening of each flow path centered on the needles. When one flow path functions as an ink flow path for flowing ink, the other flow path preferably functions as an air flow path for flowing air.

  According to this configuration, when the ink supply container is connected to the ink tank from the direction in which the needles extend along the radial direction in which the two flow paths are aligned, the ink in the ink supply container out of the two flow paths One channel on the side closer to the outlet functions as an ink channel, and the other channel functions as an air channel. Therefore, the user may use any one of the two flow paths as the ink flow path, so that the user can quickly perform the ink replenishment operation without having to choose the flow path as the ink flow path. it can.

  Furthermore, another ink replenishing system that solves the above problems includes an ink storage chamber that can store ink, an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a radial direction centered on the ink inlet. An ink tank having a recess formed in a region outside the ink inlet, an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be supplied to the ink tank, and allowing the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber An ink replenishing container, and an ink supply container having a convex portion formed so as to be able to be fitted to the concave portion in a region outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet. The ink tank includes a first concavo-convex portion on the inner surface of the concave portion at a position closer to the bottom surface than the opening edge of the concave portion, and the ink supply container is associated with the first concavo-convex portion of the ink tank. The second concave-convex portion capable provided on the convex portion.

  According to this configuration, the convex portion of the ink supply container is fitted into the concave portion of the ink tank, and the second concave / convex portion on the outer surface of the convex portion is engaged with the first concave / convex portion on the inner surface of the concave portion. The user can recognize that an ink supply container suitable for the tank is connected. Therefore, incompatible connection between the ink tank and the ink replenishing container can be suppressed, and the inner surface of the concave portion of the ink tank has the first uneven portion at a position closer to the bottom surface than the opening edge of the concave portion. The convex portion of the container is easily guided from the opening side of the concave portion of the ink tank to the bottom surface side, and the insertion operation can be easily performed.

  In the ink supply system, the depth direction of the concave portion is the direction of the central axis of the ink inlet, and the first concave portion is on the inner surface of the concave portion along the depth direction of the concave portion. The ink supply container is configured such that when the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion and the second concave and convex portion is engaged with the first concave and convex portion, the ink outlet is the ink inlet. It is preferable to be connected to.

  According to this configuration, the second concavo-convex portion on the outer surface of the convex portion in the ink supply container is recessed with respect to the first concavo-convex portion provided on the inner surface of the concave portion of the ink tank so as to extend along the depth direction of the concave portion. By engaging with the convex portion fitting to the ink tank, it is possible to easily recognize the connection direction of the ink outlet of the ink supply container to the ink inlet of the ink tank.

  In the ink supply system, it is preferable that the depth direction of the concave portion in the ink tank is a direction from the upper side to the lower side, intersecting the horizontal direction in a state where the ink outlet is connected to the ink inlet. .

  According to this configuration, in a state where the ink outlet of the ink supply container is connected to the ink inlet of the ink tank, it is possible to prevent ink from returning from the ink outlet of the ink supply container to the ink storage chamber, and from the ink supply container to the ink tank. The ink can be replenished appropriately.

  Furthermore, another ink replenishment system that solves the above problems includes an ink storage chamber that can store ink, an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a radiation that is centered on the ink inlet. An ink tank having a plurality of first fitting portions formed so as to be point-symmetric about the ink inlet in a region outside the ink inlet in a direction, and ink to be supplied to the ink tank An ink storage chamber that can be stored; an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber; and the first fitting in a region that is outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet. And an ink supply container provided with a second fitting portion formed so as to be fitted to the portion.

  According to this configuration, the ink replenishing container has its second fitting portion fitted to any one of the plurality of first fittings formed point-symmetrically around the ink inlet in the ink tank. Since the ink outlet of the ink supply container can be connected to the ink inlet of the ink tank, it is possible to easily connect the ink supply container to the ink tank when supplying ink.

  Furthermore, another ink replenishment system that solves the above problems includes an ink storage chamber that can store ink, an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a radiation that is centered on the ink inlet. A first fitting portion formed in a region outside the ink inlet in a direction, an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be supplied to the ink tank, and an ink storage chamber from the ink storage chamber An ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out, and a second fitting portion that is formed so as to be fitted to the first fitting portion in a region that is outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet. And the ink tank has a first portion indicating information relating to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber, and the ink supply container is disposed in the ink storage chamber. Containment A second portion indicating information relating to the ink, and the first portion and the second portion are configured to fit the second fitting portion of the ink supply container to the first fitting portion of the ink tank. It is provided at a position where it can be visually recognized from the outside when combined.

  According to this configuration, when the ink replenishing container is connected to the ink tank and ink is replenished, it is easy to visually check whether the ink to be replenished is compatible with the first part and the second part. I can confirm.

  Furthermore, another ink replenishment system that solves the above problems includes an ink storage chamber that can store ink, an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a radiation that is centered on the ink inlet. A recess formed in a region outside the ink inlet in a direction, an ink storage chamber that can store ink to be supplied to the ink tank, and the outflow of the ink from the ink storage chamber An ink replenishing container, and an ink supply container comprising a convex portion formed so as to be fitted to the concave portion in a region outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet. In the ink supply container, the protrusion protrudes in a direction opposite to the ink storage chamber from the ink outlet in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet.

  According to this configuration, at the time of ink replenishment, since the convex portion protrudes from the ink outlet in the ink supply container, the possibility that the ink outlet touches the user's hand or the peripheral portion of the ink tank can be reduced. Contamination due to adhesion can be suppressed.

  On the contrary, the ink outlet can protrude in the direction opposite to the ink storage chamber in the direction of the central axis from the convex portion. In that case, it becomes easy to visually recognize the ink outlet when ink is supplied.

  In the ink supply system, the ink supply container projects outward from the outer peripheral surface of the container main body in which the ink storage chamber is provided in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet. Is preferred.

  According to this configuration, the user can easily visually recognize the convex portion when looking at the ink supply container, and can easily fit the convex portion of the ink supply container to the concave portion of the ink tank during ink supply. As a result, erroneous connection of the ink supply container to the ink tank can be reduced.

  In the ink replenishing system, the ink replenishing container is formed inside the outer peripheral surface of the container main body in which the ink containing chamber is provided in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet. It is preferable.

According to this configuration, when the ink outlet of the ink supply container is connected to the ink inlet of the ink tank, the convex portion of the ink supply container can be made difficult to get in the way.
Further, an ink supply adapter that solves the above problem is an ink supply adapter that connects between the ink supply container and the ink tank when supplying ink from the ink supply container to the ink tank. A tank engaging portion that can be engaged with a plurality of ink tanks having a reservable ink storage chamber in a lump, and ink that has flowed out of the ink outlet of the ink supply container into the ink storage chamber A plurality of ink inlets provided for each of the ink tanks to allow inflow, and the ink supply container having the ink outlets provided for each of the plurality of ink inlets and connectable to the ink inlets can be identified. A plurality of identification units.

  According to this configuration, when the ink tank has a general-purpose common structure, and the plurality of ink tanks are brought into a collective state and the tank engaging portion of the replenishing adapter is engaged, the ink replenishing container at the time of ink replenishment It is possible to easily realize a structure that can suppress erroneous mounting.

  Furthermore, another adapter for replenishing ink that solves the above-described problem is an adapter for replenishing ink that is mounted on the ink tank in a state where ink is replenished from an ink replenishing container to the ink tank. An ink inlet passage portion provided in the ink tank so as to be able to flow into an ink storage chamber provided in the tank, and an inlet forming portion surrounding at least a part of the periphery of the ink inlet passage portion; An ink tank that can be engaged with a tank side positioning portion provided in the ink tank, and that can be connected to the ink inlet channel portion, and an adapter side positioning portion that positions the ink replenishing adapter with respect to the ink tank. And an identification unit that enables identification of the ink supply container having an outlet.

  According to this configuration, since the ink supply adapter is positioned with respect to the ink tank, positional deviation between the ink inlet channel provided in the ink tank and the inlet formation portion provided in the ink supply adapter is suppressed. Is done. Accordingly, ink can be appropriately supplied from the ink supply container to the ink tank via the ink supply adapter.

  In the ink supply adapter, it is preferable that a plurality of the inlet forming portions, the identification portions corresponding to the plurality of inlet forming portions, and the plurality of adapter-side positioning portions are integrally formed. .

  According to this configuration, since the inlet formation portion, the identification portion, and the adapter side positioning portion are integrally formed, the ink supply adapter can be easily manufactured as compared with the case where these are formed separately.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment in a transparent state. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an ink supply unit provided in a housing of the recording apparatus. The top view of an ink supply unit. FIG. 4 is a partially broken sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a partially broken sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ink supply container with a cap removed. The side view of an ink supply container. The front view of an ink supply container. The top view of an ink supply container. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 9; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 9; FIG. 3 is a partially broken front view showing a state immediately before an ink supply operation for an ink tank. FIG. 4 is a partially broken side view showing a state immediately before an ink supply operation for an ink tank. FIG. 3 is a partially broken front view showing a state during an ink replenishment operation with respect to the ink tank. FIG. 4 is a partially broken side view showing a state during an ink replenishment operation with respect to the ink tank. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state where a positioning portion of an ink supply container is in contact with a receiving surface on the ink tank side when ink is supplied. FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which the positioning portion of the ink supply container is in contact with the receiving surface on the ink tank side when ink is supplied. The perspective view of a multifunction machine provided with the recording device of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine showing a state where ink is supplied to an ink tank. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state where a housing of the ink supply unit is removed. The partial perspective view of an ink tank. The partial top view of an ink tank. FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of an ink supply unit. FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of an ink supply unit. The perspective view from the lower surface side of the adapter for ink supply. The bottom view of the adapter for ink supply. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F27-F27 in FIG. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F28-F28 in FIG. The side view of the ink supply container of a modification. The front view of the ink supply container of a modification. The perspective view of the ink supply container of another modification. The perspective view of the ink supply unit of a modification. The perspective view of the adapter for ink replenishment of a modification. The fragmentary perspective view of the ink supply container of a modification. The top view of the ink exit and 2nd uneven | corrugated | grooved part of a modification. The fragmentary sectional view of the ink supply container and cap of a modification. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a modified example of an ink outlet and a sealing portion.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a recording apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. The recording apparatus of this embodiment is an ink jet printer that records (prints) an image or the like on a medium by ejecting ink onto the medium.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the recording apparatus 21 includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing 22 whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction. Note that FIG. 1 is a simplified view in a state where the inside of the housing 22 of the recording apparatus 21 is seen through. A support base 23 having a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction is provided in a lower portion near the rear in the housing 22 so that the upper surface thereof extends along a substantially horizontal direction. The paper P, which is an example of a medium, is conveyed toward the front in the conveyance direction while being supported on the upper surface of the support base 23. A guide shaft 24 extending in the left-right direction is installed above the support base 23 in the housing 22, and the guide shaft 24 has a carriage 26 provided with a recording head 25 for discharging ink on the lower surface side. Is supported. That is, the carriage 26 is supported so as to be capable of reciprocating in the left-right direction with respect to the guide shaft 24 in a state where the guide shaft 24 is inserted into the support hole 27 penetrating in the left-right direction.

  In addition, a drive pulley 28 and a driven pulley 29 are rotatably supported at positions in the case 22 near both ends of the guide shaft 24. An output shaft of a carriage motor 30 is connected to the drive pulley 28, and an endless timing belt 31, part of which is connected to the carriage 26, is wound between the drive pulley 28 and the driven pulley 29. . Then, when the carriage 26 is guided by the guide shaft 24 via the timing belt 31 by the drive of the carriage motor 30 and reciprocates along the left-right direction that is the scanning direction with respect to the paper P, the carriage 26 is conveyed forward on the support base 23. Ink is ejected from the recording head 25 on the lower surface side of the carriage 26 to the paper P.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the ink from the recording head 25 is moved to a position on the front side of the housing 22 on the front side of the support base 23 when being transported on the support base 23 in the housing 22. A rectangular discharge port 32 for discharging the paper P on which recording has been performed by discharge to the front side is opened. The discharge port 32 is provided with a rectangular plate-shaped discharge tray 33 that can support the paper P discharged from the inside of the housing 22 so as to be able to move forward and backward in the discharge direction. In the discharge port 32, a paper feed cassette 34 that can store a plurality of sheets P used for recording in a stacked state is mounted below the discharge tray 33 so as to be insertable / removable in the front-rear direction.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the front surface and the upper surface are rectangular in a position on the front surface of the housing 22 and on the end side in the left-right direction from the discharge port 32 (right end portion side in FIG. 1). An opening / closing door 35 whose right side surface forms a right triangle is provided so as to freely open and close in the front-rear direction around a rotation shaft 36 provided at the lower end thereof along the left-right direction. A window 37 made of a rectangular transparent member is formed on the front surface of the open / close door 35, and the user closes the open / close door 35 to the inside of the housing 22 (particularly, the back side of the front surface of the open / close door 35). ) Is visible.

  Ink is supplied to the recording head 25 at a position on the back side of the opening / closing door 35 in the casing 22 of the recording apparatus 21, that is, a position close to the front and close to the end (in this case, close to the right end). An ink supply unit 40 is accommodated. The ink supply unit 40 includes a plurality of (five in the present embodiment) ink tanks 41 to 45 and can be handled integrally. As will be described later, each ink tank 41 to 45 has a structure. The ink can be replenished.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ink supply unit 40 includes five ink tanks 41 to 45 each having a deformed box shape that is long in the front-rear direction, and five ink supplies drawn from the rear side of each ink tank 41 to 45. A tube 46 and a rectangular parallelepiped ink replenishing adapter 47 that is assembled in a state where the ink tanks 41 to 45 are assembled together are configured. The ink replenishing adapter 47 has a stepped portion formed in a cutout in the upper first half of all the ink tanks 41 to 45 in a state where all the ink tanks 41 to 45 are arranged side by side with the thickness direction being the left-right direction. As a result, the ink tanks 41 to 45 are integrated. As shown in FIG. 1, the ink supply tube 46 drawn from the ink tanks 41 to 45 is connected to an ink channel (not shown) formed in the carriage 26, and recording is performed via the ink channel. It is connected to the head 25. The ink supply adapter 47 may constitute a part of the housing 22 that covers the ink tanks 41 to 45, or may be formed integrally with the ink tanks 41 to 45.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ink tanks 41 to 45 have an ink storage chamber 49 in which the ink IK can be stored. In the case of this embodiment, black ink is stored in the ink storage chamber 49 of the ink tank 41 located at the right end in the horizontal direction. Then, inks other than black (cyan, magenta, yellow, etc.) are stored in the ink storage chambers 49 of the other ink tanks 42 to 45 arranged on the left side of the rightmost ink tank 41 in the horizontal direction. In addition, the front wall portion of the ink tanks 41 to 45 that is visible through the window 37 on the front surface of the housing 22 is made of a transparent resin that allows the liquid level of the ink IK in the ink storage chamber 49 to be visible. The formed visual recognition part 50 is provided. The visual recognition unit 50 shows an upper limit of the liquid level of the ink IK stored in the ink storage chamber 49 (an example of an amount of ink that can be injected without overflowing the ink from the ink inlet 53). An upper limit mark 51 and a lower limit mark 52 indicating a lower limit guideline (for example, a guideline for prompting ink supply) are shown.

  As shown in FIG. 4, an ink inlet 53 that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber 49 from the outside is provided above the horizontal portion of the stepped portion 48 in the ink tanks 41 to 45. The ink inlet 53 is configured to include a needle 56 having flow paths 54 and 55 that communicate between the inside and the outside of the ink storage chamber 49 and extending vertically upward. The flow paths 54 and 55 of the needle 56 are composed of two flow paths 54 and 55 each having a distal end opening arranged side by side in a radial direction centered on the needle 56, and one of the two flow paths 54 and 55. The flow path 54 on the right side in FIG. 4 has a lower opening at the tip and a larger cross-sectional area than the flow path 55 on the other side (left side in FIG. 4). Note that a remaining amount sensor 57 for detecting the remaining amount of ink IK in the ink storage chamber 49 is provided at a lower portion in the rear of the ink storage chamber 49. The remaining amount sensor 57 may not be provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the ink replenishing adapter 47 has an upper surface 58 that is a horizontal surface that is orthogonal to (intersects with) the direction in which the needle 56 extends. A through hole 60 penetrating in the direction is formed as an ink inlet forming portion. The through hole 60 includes a circular hole-shaped ink inlet 53 in which the needle 56 is disposed in the center, and a pair of front and rear rectangular holes connected to the front and rear of the ink inlet 53, and the lower openings are the ink tanks 41 to 45. In FIG. 2, the needle 56 is closed by a horizontal portion of the stepped portion 48 projecting upward.

  Therefore, in the through hole 60, the region extending outside the ink inlet 53 in the radial direction centered on the ink inlet 53 is a direction in which the needle 56 extends by a pair of front and rear rectangular holes whose lower openings are blocked. A pair of front and rear recesses 61 that are open on the upper side are formed so as to be symmetric with respect to the ink inlet 53 as a depth direction in the depth direction. In other words, in the ink supply adapter 47 integrated with the ink tanks 41 to 45, a region outside the ink inlet 53 including the needle 56 has a plurality of points symmetrical about the ink inlet 53 (in this case, front and rear). Two pairs of concave portions 61 are formed. In this case, the tip of the needle 56 disposed at the center of the circular hole-shaped ink inlet 53 is the upper surface of the ink supply adapter 47 serving as the opening edge of the through hole 60 including the ink inlet 53 and the recess 61. It is located closer to the ink storage chamber 49 than 58. That is, the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 extends in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the needle 56 extends at a position outside the tip of the needle 56 in the direction in which the needle 56 extends. On the other hand, the lower surface 59 of the ink replenishing adapter 47 functions as a tank engaging portion that engages a plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 arranged side by side in the horizontal direction from the upper side.

  Further, the peripheral portion of the upper opening edge of each through hole 60 in the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 is colored in a specific color. That is, it is colored in the same color as the color of the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 49 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 through which ink flows through the ink inlet 53 of the through hole 60. In this regard, in the peripheral portion of the upper opening edge of each through hole 60 in the ink replenishing adapter 47, ink tanks 41 to 45 in which the ink inlet 53 of the through hole 60 and the ink storage chamber 49 communicate with each other are stored inside. It functions as a first part that shows information relating to the ink that is present to the outside. Incidentally, the peripheral portion of the upper opening of the through hole 60 where the ink inlet 53 communicating with the ink storage chamber 49 of the ink tank 41 storing black ink is arranged is colored black.

  Further, on the inner surface of the recess 61 (specifically, the inner surface along the vertical direction), the horizontal position is located on the bottom surface side (that is, the horizontal portion side of the stepped portion 48) with respect to the upper opening edge of the recess 61. A first concavo-convex portion (first key structure portion) 62 having a concavo-convex shape characteristic in the direction is provided so as to extend along the depth direction of the concave portion 61 (in other words, the direction of the central axis of the ink inlet 53). ing. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first concavo-convex portion 62 is provided for each of the ink inlets 53 of a plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 (five in this embodiment). Therefore, in the ink replenishing adapter 47, the rectangular recess 61 in each through hole 60 formed at a position corresponding to each of the ink tanks 41 to 45 in the vertical direction has another through hole 60 for each through hole 60. A first uneven portion 62 different from the first uneven portion 62 provided on the inner surface of the recess 61 is formed. That is, the first concavo-convex portion 62 has an ink supply container 63 (see FIG. 6) having an ink outlet 65 (see FIG. 6 and the like) connected to the ink inlet 53 in the through hole 60 in which the first concavo-convex portion 62 is formed. 6), and so on. The “position closer to the bottom surface than the opening edge on the upper side of the recess 61” means that any position that is slightly retracted toward the bottom surface than the opening edge may be used.

  Therefore, an ink supply container 63 that configures an ink supply system together with the ink tanks 41 to 45 and supplies ink to the ink tanks 41 to 45 whose ink remaining amount has decreased will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the ink supply container 63 is provided at the main body of the cylindrical container main body 64 and the tip of the container main body 64, and the ink flows out from the ink supply container 63. An ink outlet forming portion 66 having an ink outlet 65 opening at the tip thereof and a container adding portion 67 added to the ink outlet forming portion 66 so as to surround the ink outlet 65 are provided. The ink outlet 65 of the ink outlet forming portion 66 is covered with a bottomed cylindrical cap 68 including the surrounding container addition portion 67 so that it is concealed from the outside when the ink supply container 63 is stored. That is, a male screw portion 69 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical lower end portion of the container adding portion 67, while a female screw portion (not shown) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap 68. By screwing the female screw portion of the cap 68 into the male screw portion 69, the cap 68 is attached to the front end portion of the ink supply container 63 so as to cover the ink outlet 65.

  Note that the entire outer surface of the container addition portion 67 is colored in a specific color. That is, it is colored in the same color as the color of the ink stored in the container main body 64 to which the container adding portion 67 is added. In this regard, the container adding portion 67 in the ink supply container 63 functions as a second portion that shows information relating to the ink contained in the ink supply container 63 to the outside. Incidentally, the outer surface of the container adding portion 67 in the ink supply container 63 for containing black ink is colored black. A plurality (four in this embodiment) of projections 70 are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the base end portions of the container main body 64 and the cap 68 at equiangular intervals (90 degrees as an example). Incidentally, these protrusions 70 are formed in order to prevent the ink supply container 63 having a cylindrical shape from rolling. Furthermore, for example, the container main body 64 of the ink supply container 63 that stores black ink may be formed thicker than the container main body 64 of the ink supply container 63 that stores ink of other colors. In that case, the ink outlet forming portion 66 may have a common thickness and shape for the black ink and the other color inks.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the ink is disposed in the radial direction around the ink outlet 65 at the upper part of the cylindrical lower end portion in which the external thread portion 69 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the container addition portion 67. A convex portion 71 that protrudes upward in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 and in the direction opposite to the container main body 64 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 is formed in the region that is outside the outlet 65. The convex portion 71 is a second portion that can be fitted with the concave portion 61 of the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 as the first fitting portion when the tip of the needle 56 on the ink inlet 53 side is inserted into the ink outlet 65. Like the pair of recesses 61 that sandwich the ink inlet 53 from the front and the rear, the ink outlet 65 functions as a fitting portion and is provided so as to form a pair. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the convex portion 71 is formed on the inner side of the outer peripheral surface of the container main body 64 in the radial direction around the ink outlet 65 in the ink supply container 63.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, on the outer surface of each convex portion 71 (the left and right side surfaces in FIGS. 6 and 9), the first concave and convex portions (the first concave portions) formed on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 of the ink supply adapter 47. A second concavo-convex portion (second key structure portion) 72 that can be engaged with the (one key structure portion) 62 is formed. The second concavo-convex portion 72 is provided so as to extend along the protruding direction of the convex portion 71 (in other words, the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65), and the convex portion 71 is fitted into the concave portion 61. When the second uneven portion 72 is engaged with the first uneven portion 62, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink inlet 53 on the ink tanks 41 to 45 side.

  Further, between the cylindrical lower end portion where the male screw portion 69 of the container addition portion 67 is formed and the convex portion 71 where the second uneven portion 72 is formed, it is orthogonal to (intersects) the central axis of the ink outlet 65. A planar positioning portion 73 is provided so as to be positioned radially outward of the ink outlet 65 when the ink outlet 65 is viewed in the direction of its central axis. That is, the positioning portion 73 constitutes a part of the outer surface of the container adding portion 67 that is a part of the outer surface of the ink supply container 63, and the container main body is more than the tip of the convex portion 71 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65. It is provided at a position on the part 64 side. The positioning portion 73 is provided in a container adding portion 67 that is added to the ink outlet forming portion 66 in the ink replenishing container 63. Therefore, the positioning portion 73 is a separate member from the ink outlet forming portion 66. It can be said that the configuration is provided outside the outlet forming portion 66.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a valve 74 made of an elastic member such as a silicon film is provided in the ink outlet 65 formed in the ink outlet forming portion 66 so as to seal the ink outlet 65 so as to be opened and closed. ing. The valve 74 is provided at a position where the positioning portion 73 is closer to the container main body 64 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 (see, for example, FIG. 14). The valve 74 is provided with a plurality of (three in the present embodiment) slits 75 that intersect at equal angular intervals (as an example, 120 ° intervals) with the center as an intersection, and these slits 75 serve as ink outlets. The valve 65 is configured to be opened by being spread from the outside to the inside. That is, when the tip of the needle 56 on the ink inlet 53 side is inserted into the ink outlet 65, the valve 74, which is a normally closed valve, is pushed inward and opened by the tip of the needle 56.

  At that time, the positioning portion 73 is in contact with the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 in which the through hole 60 including the ink inlet 53 and the recess 61 is formed outside the ink outlet 65 in the radial direction. The valve 74 is positioned with respect to the ink tanks 41 to 45 in the central axis direction. At this point, the upper surface 58 of the ink replenishing adapter 47 positions the ink replenishing container 63 when the valve 74 of the ink outlet 65 of the ink replenishing container 63 is opened to replenish ink to the ink tanks 41 to 45. It is a part of the ink tanks 41 to 45 side with which the portion 73 abuts and functions as a receiving surface for receiving the planar positioning portion 73.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the container main body 64 in the ink supply container 63 is a bottle-shaped member having an ink storage chamber 76 that can store the ink IK therein, and a neck portion at the upper end thereof. A male threaded portion 78 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of 77. On the other hand, the ink outlet forming portion 66 provided at the upper end portion of the container main body 64 has a large diameter portion 79 located on the outer peripheral side of the neck portion 77 of the container main body 64 and the ink at a position farthest from the container main body 64. A small-diameter portion 80 that forms the outlet 65 and an intermediate portion 81 that connects the large-diameter portion 79 and the small-diameter portion 80 are provided. The ink outlet forming portion 66 is formed by screwing the female screw portion 82 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 79 with the male screw portion 78 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 77 of the container main body portion 64. It is attached to the upper end of the container body 64.

  The container addition portion 67 added to the ink outlet formation portion 66 of the ink supply container 63 so as to surround the ink outlet 65 has a cylindrical lower end portion having a male screw portion 69 formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and a lower end surface thereof. Is formed on the upper end surface of the large-diameter portion 79 of the ink outlet forming portion 66. In the joint 83, the surface regions of the inner peripheral surface facing each other in the front-rear direction are in surface contact with the front outer surface and the rear outer surface of the intermediate portion 81 of the ink outlet forming portion 66. Joined to the large diameter portion 79.

  Therefore, the operation of the ink supply system configured as described above will be described below by focusing on the operation when ink is supplied to the ink tanks 41 to 45 of the ink supply unit 40 using the ink supply container 63. .

  As a premise, as shown in FIG. 2, the liquid level height of the ink in the black ink tank 41 located on the rightmost side among the plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 arranged side by side is the visual recognition unit 50. In the following, a case where ink is supplied to the ink tank 41 will be described. Further, it is assumed that the black ink is sufficiently stored in the ink supply container 63 used for ink supply, and the cap 68 is removed from the ink supply container 63 in advance. Further, the shape of the second concavo-convex portion 72 formed on the outer surface of the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 is the first surface formed on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 positioned before and after the ink inlet 53 to the ink tank 41. It is assumed that it matches the shape of the concavo-convex portion 62 and can be engaged with the insertion of the convex portion 71 into the concave portion 61.

  Now, when ink is supplied to the ink tank 41, first, the user turns the open / close door 35 of the housing 22 forward from the closed state shown in FIG. Then, the ink supply unit 40 exposes the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 in which the ink inlets 53 into the ink tanks 41 to 45 are formed to the outside of the housing 22, and the user enters the desired ink inlet 53. In contrast, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 can be connected from above.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the user turns the ink supply container 63 containing black ink used for ink supply upside down, and the ink outlet 65 is the rightmost through hole in the ink supply adapter 47. 60 so that it is located above. That is, the central axis of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is aligned with the central axis of the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41 to be supplied with ink. At this time, the user has the color (second portion) colored in the container addition portion 67 of the ink supply container 63 held in his hand and the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41 to be supplied with ink at that time. The color (first portion) colored around the opening edge on the upper side of the provided through hole 60 is compared. If the respective colors are the same (in this case, black), it is confirmed that the ink supply container 63 suitable for the current ink supply is held in the hand, and the process proceeds to the subsequent operation in the ink supply.

  Then, the ink supply container 63 is lowered from the state shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, and the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 is inserted into the concave portion 61 of the ink supply adapter 47 integral with the ink tank 41. Then, by realizing the insertion state of the convex portion 71 with respect to the concave portion 61, the coincidence state of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 with respect to the central axis of the ink inlet 53 is ensured. In this case, since the concave portion 61 is in a point-symmetric position with respect to the needle 56 that is the center of the ink inlet 53, the convex portion 71 can be inserted into any concave portion 61. Therefore, there is no need to rotate the ink supply container 63 around the central axis of the ink outlet 65 many times to confirm the suitable positional relationship between the concave portion 61 and the convex portion 71, and the user does not need to confirm the convex portion 71 with respect to the concave portion 61. Can be easily inserted.

  However, at this time, the protrusion 71 is slightly inserted into the recess 61, and the tip of the needle 56 located at the center of the ink inlet 53 is slightly opened from the tip of the protrusion 71. Although it is inserted inside, it does not reach the valve 74 located inside the ink outlet 65. The reason for this is that, as shown in FIG. 13, the tip of the convex portion 71 is more than the distance L1 between the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 where the opening edge of the concave portion 61 is located and the upper end of the first concave portion 62 in the concave portion 61. This is because the distance L2 between the ink outlet 65 and the valve 74 in the ink outlet 65 is longer. Therefore, when the convex portion 71 is further inserted downward from the state in the depth direction of the concave portion 61, the second concave and convex portion 72 on the outer surface of the convex portion 71 is engaged with the first concave and convex portion 62 on the inner surface of the concave portion 61. Match. When the convex portion 71 is further inserted toward the bottom surface in the depth direction of the concave portion 61 while maintaining the engaged state, the tip of the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 reaches the position of the valve 74 of the ink outlet 65. Then, the valve 74 is opened.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the tip of the needle 56 spreads the slit 75 from the lower side to the upper side (that is, from the outside to the inside of the ink outlet 65) with respect to the valve 74. Open the valve. As a result, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 and the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41 are connected, and black ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 into the ink tank 41. At this time, the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 has one of the two flow paths 54 and 55, one of the flow paths 54, 55 that comes into contact with the ink that has flowed from the ink outlet 65 by opening the valve 74. It functions as an ink flow path for flowing ink, and the other flow path functions as an air flow path for flowing air. For example, when the user tries to connect the ink outlet 65 to the ink inlet 53 in a state where the ink supply container 63 is tilted, an ink channel is formed between the two channels 54 and 55 due to the difference in the tilting direction. The flow path is also changed.

  If the second uneven portion 72 does not engage the first uneven portion 62 after the protrusion 71 is inserted into the recess 61, the user can remove the ink supply container 63 of a color other than black at that time. You can recognize that you are trying to insert it by mistake. In this case, if the upper end of the first uneven portion 62 is positioned at the same height as the opening edge of the recessed portion 61, the engagement of the second uneven portion 72 with respect to the first uneven portion 62 is rejected. In addition, since the insertion of the convex portion 71 into the concave portion 61 is also rejected, the user may try to insert the convex portion 71 into the concave portion 61 many times, and unnecessarily spend unnecessary work time. is there. In this respect, in the present embodiment, since the height of the first concavo-convex portion 62 is lower than the opening edge of the concave portion 61, the convex portion 71 is guided to the bottom surface side in the depth direction of the concave portion 61 when inserted into the concave portion 61. It becomes easy to be done and it is suppressed that work time becomes uselessly long.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 14, 16, and 17, when the valve 56 in the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is opened by the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 on the ink tank 41 side, the ink supply container 63 is The positioning portion 73 comes into contact with the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 which is a part on the ink tank 41 side. That is, the ink replenishing container 63 is positioned in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 with respect to the needle 56 on the ink tank 41 side by the contact between the positioning portion 73 and the upper surface 58 of the ink replenishing adapter 47. It is opened in the state that was done.

  At that time, since the positioning portion 73 is positioned on the outer side in the radial direction of the ink outlet 65, the ink supply container 63 is stably held in the posture in which the ink outlet 65 is connected to the ink inlet 53. Further, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, when the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 contacts the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47, the ink inlet 53 where the proximal end of the needle 56 in the ink inlet 53 is located. There is a gap between the bottom surface of the ink supply and the tip of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63. For this reason, ink tends to accumulate on the bottom surface of the ink inlet 53 where the proximal end of the needle 56 is located, but it is also possible to prevent the ink that has accumulated from adhering to the tip of the ink outlet 65 from contaminating the ink supply container 63. The

  14 and 16, when the ink supply from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tank 41 is completed, the ink level in the ink tank 41 is higher than the upper limit mark 51 of the visual recognition unit 50. If it is still low, ink may be further replenished to the upper limit mark 51 using the same black ink replenishing container 63. The ink replenishing operation as described above is similarly performed for the ink tanks 42 to 45 of other colors other than the black ink tank 41.

According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) When ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45, the valve 74 is opened while being positioned with respect to the ink tanks 41 to 45. Therefore, problems such as ink leakage and ink replenishment failure that may occur when the valve 74 is displaced at the time of valve opening can be suppressed, and ink can be replenished appropriately to the ink tanks 41 to 45.

  (2) Since the valve 74 is a slit valve in which one or more slits 75 are provided in an elastic member made of a silicon film or the like, the ink supply container 63 having a simple structure can be provided with a small number of parts.

  (3) When ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45, the positioning part 73 of the ink supply container 63 is positioned radially outside the ink outlet 65 with respect to a part of the ink tanks 41 to 45 side. In this state, the ink is replenished in a stable posture.

  (4) In the ink supply container 63, since the positioning part 73 is provided in the container addition part 67, which is a separate member from the ink outlet forming part 66, positioning is performed according to the design mode of the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the ink supply container 63. The part 73 can be optimized.

  (5) When the needles 56 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 are inserted into the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 to open the valve 74, the ink supply functioning as the receiving surface of the ink supply container 63 in the ink tanks 41 to 45 is performed. The positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 comes into contact with the upper surface 58 of the adapter 47 and determines the relative positional relationship between the valve 74 and the needle 56. Therefore, the valve 74 can be appropriately opened by the needle 56, and the occurrence of ink replenishment failure can be suppressed.

  (6) When ink is supplied, the needle 56 is not inserted into the ink outlet 65 when the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 is not fitted into the concave portion 61 of the ink tanks 41 to 45. Incompatible connection with the container 63 can be suppressed.

  (7) The ink supply container 63 includes a positioning portion 73 at a position on the outer side of the ink outlet forming portion 66 and closer to the container main body 64 than the convex portion 71 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65. Therefore, inadequate connection between the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the ink supply container 63 is suppressed, and the insertion state of the needle 56 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 with respect to the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is ensured in an appropriate positioning state. it can.

  (8) Further, the needle 56 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 does not protrude outward from the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 that becomes the receiving surface of the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63. Even when ink adheres to the tip, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the ink adhering to the hand of the user who performs the ink replenishing operation or the ink replenishing container 63.

  (9) When the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink tanks 41 to 45 from a state in which the two flow paths 54 and 55 are inclined from the extending direction of the needle 56 along the radial direction, the two flow paths 54 and 55, one flow path on the side where the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 approaches first functions as an ink flow path, and the other flow path functions as an air flow path. Therefore, the user may use any one of the two flow paths 54 and 55 as an ink flow path. It can be carried out.

  (10) The convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 is fitted into the concave portion 61 of the ink tanks 41 to 45, and the second concave and convex portion 72 on the outer surface of the convex portion 71 is formed on the first concave and convex portion 62 on the inner surface of the concave portion 61. By engaging, the user can recognize that the ink supply container 63 suitable for the ink tanks 41 to 45 is connected. Therefore, incompatible connection between the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the ink supply container 63 can be suppressed. In addition, since the first concavo-convex portion 62 is located on the inner surface of the recess 61 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 on the bottom side of the opening edge of the recess 61, the ink supply container 63 has a protrusion 71 whose ink tank 41 to 51 It is easy to be guided from the opening side of the concave portion 61 of the 45 to the bottom side, and the insertion work can be easily performed.

  (11) Convex in the ink supply container 63 with respect to the first concavo-convex portion (first key structure portion) 62 provided on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 so as to extend along the depth direction of the concave portion 61. The second concavo-convex part 72 (second key structure part) on the outer surface of the part 71 can be engaged with the fitting of the convex part 71 to the concave part 61. As a result, the connection direction of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 can be easily recognized.

  (12) Since the concave portion 61 provided on the outer side in the radial direction of the ink inlet 53 is a direction in which the depth direction is directed vertically downward, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is provided in the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41 to 45. In the connected state, the return of ink from the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 into the ink storage chamber 76 can be suppressed. As a result, the ink supply operation from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 can be appropriately performed.

  (13) The ink replenishing container 63 has a plurality of concave portions (first fitting) 61 formed so that the convex portion (second fitting portion) 71 is point-symmetrically formed around the ink inlet 53 in the ink tanks 41 to 45. In any case, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 can be connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41 to 45. Therefore, it is possible to easily connect the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 during ink supply.

  (14) The color colored in the peripheral portion of the ink inlet 53 of the ink supply adapter 47 in the ink tanks 41 to 45 functions as a first portion indicating information relating to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 49, and the ink The color colored in the container addition portion 67 of the replenishing container 63 functions as a second portion indicating information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 76. Therefore, when the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink tanks 41 to 45 and ink is supplied, it is determined whether or not the ink to be supplied is compatible with the first portion on the ink tanks 41 to 45 side and the ink supply container 63. It can be easily confirmed by visually recognizing the second part on the side.

  (15) Since the ink supply container 63 is formed on the inner side of the outer peripheral surface of the container main body 64 provided with the ink containing chamber 76 in the radial direction with the convex portion 71 centering on the ink outlet 65, the ink tank When the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink inlets 53 of 41 to 45, the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 can be made difficult to get in the way.

  (16) The ink replenishing adapter 47 is engaged with each of the ink tanks 41 to 45 after engaging the lower surface (tank engaging portion) 59 side with the plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 in a lump. A plurality of first concavo-convex portions (identification portions) 62 that can identify an ink supply container 63 having an ink outlet 65 that can be connected to the ink inlet 53 are provided. For this reason, the ink tanks 41 to 45 have a general-purpose common structure, and the plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 can be brought together to engage the lower surface 59 serving as the tank engaging portion of the ink supply adapter 47. For example, it is possible to easily realize a structure capable of suppressing erroneous mounting of the ink supply container 63 during ink supply.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the recording apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, the positioning of the ink tank and the adapter for ink supply is different from that in the first embodiment. And since it is substantially the same as 1st Embodiment in another point, the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol about the same structure.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the multifunction machine 14 includes a recording device 21 and an image reading device 15 that is disposed on the recording device 21 and covers the upper side of the recording device 21, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. On the front side (front side) of the recording device 21 are an operation unit 16 such as buttons for performing various operations of the multifunction device 14, and a display unit 17 that displays information on the recording device 21 and the multifunction device 14. An operation panel 18 is provided. Further, an ink supply unit 40 is provided on the right side of the operation panel 18.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the image reading device 15 is attached via a rotation mechanism 19 such as a hinge provided on the rear side (back side). The image reading device 15 can be opened and closed with respect to the recording device 21, and rotates between a closed position shown in FIG. 18 and an open position shown in FIG. When the image reading device 15 is positioned at the open position, the unit cover 100 and the elastic cap 92 of the ink supply unit 40 can be opened and closed. When ink is supplied to the ink tanks 41 to 45 (see FIG. 20), as shown in FIG. 19, the image reading device 15, the unit cover 100, and the elastic cap 92 are positioned at the open position, and the ink supply container 63 is supplied. Are connected to the ink supply adapter 47 and the ink tanks 41 to 45. That is, the ink supply adapter 47 is mounted so as to be positioned on the ink tanks 41 to 45 in a state where ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45. In other words, the ink supply adapter 47 connects between the ink supply container 63 and the ink tanks 41 to 45 when supplying ink from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45.

  As shown in FIG. 20, in the ink supply unit 40, two types of ink tanks 41 to 45 having different amounts of ink that can be stored are arranged side by side with the thickness direction being the left-right direction. The ink tank 41 having a large storage amount and the ink tanks 42 to 45 having a small storage amount have the same configuration although the thickness is different. For this reason, in the ink tanks 41 to 45, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  The needle 56 is formed so as to protrude upward from the top surface 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45. And the tank side positioning part 113 is provided in the side surface 112 by the side of the visual recognition part 50 (front side) which cross | intersects the top | upper surface 111 so that it may protrude toward the front. The tank side positioning portions 113 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 are located at substantially the same position in the vertical direction, and the intervals between the tank side positioning portions 113 in the adjacent ink tanks 41 to 45 are substantially the same.

  The top surface 111 of each of the ink tanks 41 to 45 is provided with an absorbent material 123 that has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and can absorb ink. A plurality (six in this embodiment) of circular holes 123 a are formed in the absorbent material 123. The absorbent material 123 allows the needles 56 to be inserted into the circular holes 123a and folds the portion of the film 124 that seals the openings of the ink tanks 41 to 45 that extends upward from the top surface 111. Are attached to the ink tanks 41 to 45. Further, the absorbent 123 may have a size that covers the entire top surface 111 (see FIG. 28).

  As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the tank-side positioning portion 113 is erected upward from the bottom wall 114 provided so as to protrude from the side surface 112 at a position below the top surface 111 and the bottom wall 114. A pair of side walls 115. And the tank side positioning part 113 is provided so that it may open toward the front and upper direction.

  In addition, on the top surface 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45, a protruding protrusion 116 that supports the ink supply adapter 47 is provided at the position of the front end adjacent to the tank side positioning portion 113. The protrusion 116 is also provided at the rear end of the top surface 111. In other words, a pair of protrusions 116 are provided at both ends of the top surface 111 in the front-rear direction with the needle 56 interposed therebetween.

  As shown in FIG. 22, a partition wall 117 extending in the vertical direction is formed in the cylindrical needle 56 at the center position in the front-rear direction. The partition walls 117 partition the flow paths 54 and 55. Therefore, the flow paths 54 and 55 of the present embodiment are formed so that the height and the cross-sectional area of the tip opening are substantially equal. The needle 56 is provided in the ink tanks 41 to 45 so that ink can flow into the ink storage chamber 49 provided in the ink tanks 41 to 45.

Next, the ink supply adapter 47 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the ink supply adapter 47 includes an inlet forming portion 119 that surrounds at least a part of the periphery of the needle 56, which is an example of the ink inlet channel portion. A plurality of the inlet forming portions 119 are provided on the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 in the left-right direction (in the present embodiment, the same number as the five ink tanks 41 to 45). The inlet formation part 119 of this embodiment is a bottomed recessed part, and the shape is substantially the same as the through-hole 60 (refer FIG. 3) by planar view. Further, the ink supply adapter 47 includes a first concavo-convex portion 62 that is an example of an identification portion that can identify an ink supply container 63 having an ink outlet 65 that can be connected to the needle 56. The first concavo-convex portion 62 of the present embodiment is provided such that the convex portion stands from the bottom surface of the inlet forming portion 119.

  As shown in FIG. 24, an insertion hole 120 through which the needle 56 can be inserted is formed on the bottom surface of each inlet forming portion 119. The diameter of the insertion hole 120 is larger than the diameter of the needle 56, and a gap is provided between the needle 56 and the insertion hole 120. Therefore, when ink leaks from the ink supply container 63 or the needle 56, the leaked ink is absorbed by the absorbent material 123 through the gap between the insertion hole 120 and the needle 56.

  As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, an adapter-side positioning portion 121 that positions the ink supply adapter 47 with respect to the ink tanks 41 to 45 is provided on the lower surface 59 of the ink supply adapter 47. The adapter-side positioning portion 121 can be engaged with the tank-side positioning portion 113 provided in the ink tanks 41 to 45, and a plurality of adapter-side positioning portions 121 are disposed in the left-right direction at positions ahead of the insertion holes 120 (in the present embodiment, the ink tank 41). Are provided side by side. Further, the distance in the left-right direction of the plurality of adapter-side positioning portions 121 is substantially equal to the distance in the left-right direction of the tank-side positioning portions 113 provided in the ink tanks 41 to 45.

  Further, on the lower surface 59 of the ink replenishing adapter 47, a plurality of pairs (five sets in the present embodiment) of a pair of ribs 122 provided in the front-rear direction with a gap in between are provided. The distance between the pair of ribs 122 in the front-rear direction is substantially equal to the size of the top surface 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45. One adapter-side positioning portion 121 and one rib 122 are provided on each side of one insertion hole 120 in the left-right direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 26, the distance B between the center line A and the adapter-side positioning portion 121 passing through the center of the insertion hole 120 in the front-rear direction is the distance C between the center line A and the rib 122. Almost equal. The corners of the adapter side positioning portion 121 and the rib 122 are chamfered.

  As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the ink supply adapter 47 includes a plurality of inlet forming portions 119, a first uneven portion 62 corresponding to the plurality of inlet forming portions 119, a plurality of adapter side positioning portions 121, A plurality of sets of ribs 122 are integrally formed.

Next, the operation of the ink supply adapter 47 configured as described above will be described.
27 and 28, when the ink supply adapter 47 is attached to the ink tanks 41 to 45 so that the needle 56 is inserted into the insertion hole 120 of the ink supply adapter 47, the adapter-side positioning portion 121 is moved to the tank. The side positioning portion 113 is engaged. Specifically, the adapter side positioning portion 121 is positioned in the left-right direction by entering between the side walls 115 of the tank side positioning portion 113. The ink supply adapter 47 is positioned in the front-rear direction by the rib 122 sandwiching the ink tanks 41 to 45 from both front and rear sides. The ink supply adapter 47 positioned with respect to the ink tanks 41 to 45 is fixed to the housing 22 with screws (not shown).

  Further, the absorbing material 123 provided between the ink supply adapter 47 and the top surface 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 may be provided for each of the ink tanks 41 to 45. Further, the absorbing material 123 may be provided so as to extend from the top surface 111 to the side surface 112 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 (only a portion corresponding to the ink tank 45 is shown in FIG. 27).

According to the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects (1) to (16) of the first embodiment.
(17) Since the ink supply adapter 47 is positioned with respect to the ink tanks 41 to 45, the positions of the needles 56 provided in the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the inlet forming portion 119 provided in the ink supply adapter 47 Deviation is suppressed. Accordingly, ink can be appropriately supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 via the ink supply adapter 47.

  (18) Since the inlet forming portion 119, the first uneven portion 62, and the adapter side positioning portion 121 are integrally formed, the ink supply adapter 47 can be easily manufactured as compared with the case where these are formed separately. .

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the ink replenishing container 63 is configured so that the tip of the convex portion 71 protrudes on the opposite side of the container main body 64 from the ink outlet 65 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65. Good. According to this configuration, at the time of ink replenishment, since the convex portion 71 protrudes from the ink outlet 65 in the ink supply container 63, the ink outlet 65 may touch the user's hand or the peripheral portion of the ink supply container 63. And the occurrence of contamination due to ink adhesion can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 31, the ink supply container 63 is located at a position closer to the container main body 64 than the valve 74 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65, and the ink tank 41 is supplied when ink is supplied to the ink tanks 41 to 45. As long as it has a positioning portion 73 that contacts a part of the .about.45 side and positions the valve with respect to the ink tanks 41 to 45, the convex portion 71 may be omitted. In this case, the recess 61 may not be provided on the ink tanks 41 to 45 side.

  As in the modification shown in FIG. 32, the ink supply unit 40 may have a structure in which the ink inlet 53 is normally closed. In other words, the ink supply unit 40 of this modification includes a lever-like cap support member 90 for each of the plurality of ink inlets 53. The base end portion of the cap support member 90 is rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 91 provided on the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 so as to extend in a direction (horizontal direction) intersecting the central axis of the ink inlet 53. Has been. An elastic cap 92 having a shape that can be fitted to the ink inlet 53 is provided on the front end side of the center in the longitudinal direction of each cap support member 90. The cap support member 90 is usually provided with the elastic cap 92. It is in the closed state fitted in. When the ink is replenished, the elastic cap 92 is fitted into the ink inlet 53, and the cap support member 90, which is in the closed state, touches the bent handle portion 93 at the tip of the cap support member 90. Tilt to an open state separated from 53. As shown in FIG. 32, a unit cover 100 that collectively covers the tops of the plurality of cap support members 90 may be provided so as to be freely opened and closed. The elastic cap 92 is made of an elastic material such as an elastomer, and the cap support member 90 is made of a material having a higher rigidity than the elastic cap 92 made of, for example, polystyrene or ABS resin.

  As in the modification shown in FIG. 33, the ink supply adapter 47 may be attached to the ink supply unit 40 so as to be movable with respect to the ink tanks 41 to 44. That is, the ink replenishing adapter 47 includes a fixed portion 125 fixed to the housing 22, a displacement portion 126 that can be displaced with respect to the ink tanks 41 to 44, and a connection portion that connects the fixed portion 125 and the displacement portion 126. 127. The connecting portion 127 can be deformed, and the displacing portion 126 can be displaced in a direction intersecting with the vertical direction in which the needle 56 extends. Therefore, the displacement part 126 is displaced in a state where the ink supply container 63 is engaged with the inlet forming part 119, and the ink supply container 63 and the needle 56 can be moved relative to each other. Therefore, since the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 and the needle 56 can be easily aligned, the risk of ink leakage can be reduced.

  A groove 129 may be formed at the tip of the ink outlet 65 as in the modification shown in FIG. Further, at least one (two in this modification) annular convex portions 130 may be formed between the tip of the ink outlet 65 and the positioning portion 73 so as to follow the outer periphery of the small diameter portion 80. Providing the groove portion 129 can reduce the possibility of ink dripping from the ink outlet 65 when the ink supply container 63 that supplies ink to the ink tanks 41 to 45 is erected. Furthermore, by providing the annular convex portion 130, the ink can be dammed even when the ink has dripped from the ink outlet 65.

  35, as in the modification shown in FIG. 35, a pair of convex portions 71 formed along a straight line D passing through the center of the ink outlet 65 is divided into a plurality (six in this modification) of areas E. You may comprise the 2nd uneven | corrugated | grooved part 72 by the provided identification convex part 132a-132c. In the present modification, the second concavo-convex portion 72 is configured by three types of identification convex portions 132a to 132c. Specifically, the first identification convex part 132a having a long length from the straight line D to the side surface of the convex part 71, the second identification convex part 132b shorter than the first identification convex part 132a, and the second identification convex part 132b. The second concave and convex portion 72 may be configured by arbitrarily combining the third identifying convex portion 132c that is shorter than the third convex portion 132c. By increasing the number of regions E and the types of identification protrusions 132a to 132c, the pattern of the second uneven portions 72 can be increased and can be accommodated according to the amount and type of ink.

  -Like the modification shown in FIG. 36, you may form the small diameter part 80 with a transparent or translucent material. Furthermore, the inner surface of the small-diameter portion 80 and the surface closer to the ink storage chamber 76 than the valve 74 may be a rough surface 80a that is uneven by, for example, embossing. Since the rough surface 80a has high wettability and ink tends to remain, the color of the ink can be easily recognized from the outside of the small diameter portion 80.

  As in the modification shown in FIGS. 36 and 37, the cap 68 is attached so as to come into contact with the attachment surface 134 of the ink supply container 63 and is in an attached state. Further, the cap 68 includes an annular sealing portion 135 that seals the ink outlet 65 in the attached state. The inner surface 135a of the sealing part 135 is formed obliquely so as to expand toward the tip. The cap 68 seals the ink outlet 65 when the inner surface 135a contacts the corner 136 of the ink outlet 65 in the attached state. Therefore, even when the cap 68 is loosely engaged with the attachment surface 134 and attached, the risk of ink leaking from the ink outlet 65 due to the contact between the inner surface 135a and the corner 136 can be reduced. The corner 136 is a portion where two surfaces facing different directions intersect and may be curved.

  In the ink supply adapter 47, at least one of the first uneven portion 62, the adapter-side positioning portion 121, and the rib 122 may be formed separately. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which does not provide the rib 122 of the front side among the ribs 122 provided in the front and back both sides. It is sufficient that at least one rear rib 122 is provided, and the ink supply adapter 47 may be positioned in the front-rear direction by the rear rib 122 and the adapter-side positioning portion 121. Further, the rib 122 may not be provided.

  The shape of the tank-side positioning unit 113 and the adapter-side positioning unit 121 can be arbitrarily changed as long as they can engage with each other to position the ink supply adapter 47 in the ink tanks 41 to 45. For example, the tank-side positioning portion 113 may be a stepped portion formed around the needle 56, and the adapter-side positioning portion 121 may be a recess or a hole surrounding the stepped portion. By providing the tank side positioning portion 113 and the adapter side positioning portion 121 at a position close to the needle 56, the positional accuracy of the inlet forming portion 119 with respect to the needle 56 can be improved.

  In the ink supply container 63, the convex portion 71 may protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface of the container main body portion 64 in which the ink containing chamber 76 is provided in a radial direction centering on the ink outlet 65. According to this configuration, the user can easily see the convex portion 71 when looking at the ink supply container 63, and the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 is made to the concave portion 61 on the ink tanks 41 to 45 side when ink is supplied. Makes it easier to fit. As a result, erroneous connection of the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 can be reduced.

  Ink replenishing container indicating information related to ink stored in the ink tanks 41 to 45 and information related to ink stored in the ink replenishing container 63 as indicating information related to the ink stored in the ink tanks 41 to 45 The second part provided for each 63 may be character information or shape information in addition to the coloring information. Moreover, the structure regarding this 1st part and 2nd part is not necessary.

  If the plurality of concave portions 61 are provided on the ink tanks 41 to 45 side, the convex portion 71 on the ink supply container 63 side may have a single configuration. In addition, as long as there are a plurality of the recesses 61, the arrangement may not necessarily be point-symmetric with respect to the ink inlet 53.

  If the plurality of concave portions 61 on the ink tanks 41 to 45 are point-symmetrical positions, in addition to the pair of concave portions 61 that are 180-degree point-symmetric, three 120-degree point-symmetrical points and four 90-degree point-symmetric points A plurality of other point-symmetric arrangement configurations may be used.

  Of the concave portion 61 and the convex portion 71 to be fitted when ink is replenished, the convex portion 71 is provided as the first fitting portion on the ink tanks 41 to 45 side, and the concave portion 61 is provided as the second fitting portion on the ink supply container 63 side. It may be provided.

  If the depth direction of the concave portion 61 on the ink tanks 41 to 45 side is along the direction in which the needle 56 positioned at the center of the ink inlet 53 extends, the direction is not necessarily limited to the vertically downward direction, but oblique to the vertical direction. The direction that intersects However, in order to suppress ink leakage, it is not preferable to set the direction along the horizontal direction as the depth direction of the recess 61.

The first concavo-convex portion 62 on the inner surface of the recess 61 may have a tip height that is equal to or higher than the height of the opening edge of the recess 61.
If an identification unit that can identify the ink supply container 63 having the ink outlet 65 that can be connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 is provided separately, the first uneven portion 62 on the inner surface of the recess 61 The second uneven portion 72 on the outer surface of the convex portion 71 is not necessarily required.

The two flow paths 54 and 55 included in the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 may have the same height at both tip openings, or may have a plurality of flow path configurations other than two.
In the ink supply container 63, the convex portion 71 and the positioning portion 73 may be directly formed on the ink outlet forming portion 66 instead of the container adding portion 67 added to the ink outlet forming portion 66. That is, the container adding portion 67 may not be added to the ink outlet forming portion 66 but may be formed integrally with the ink outlet forming portion 66.

  If the positioning portion 73 in the ink supply container 63 is an area that is outside the ink outlet 65 in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet 65, the ink outlet 65 is not outside the plurality of radial directions but outside one radial direction. The structure provided in may be sufficient.

  As long as the valve of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 has one or more slits 75, the number of slits 75 is not limited to three, and other slits 75 such as two or four may be provided. Further, the valve is not limited to the slit valve provided with the slit 75, and may be a valve having a configuration in which the needle 56 is pushed from below and displaced in the valve opening direction without the slit 75.

  The positioning portion 73 in the ink supply container 63 is not limited to a planar shape, and may be one or more protrusions or ribs as long as it comes into contact with the upper surface (receiving surface) 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 during ink supply. But you can.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 ... Ink supply unit, 41-45 ... Ink tank, 46 ... Ink supply tube, 47 ... Ink supply adapter, 48 ... Step part, 49 ... Ink storage chamber, 50 ... Visual recognition part, 53 ... Ink inlet, 54, 55 ... Flow path, 56 ... Needle (ink inlet flow path portion), 57 ... Remaining amount sensor, 58 ... Upper surface (receiving surface), 59 ... Lower surface (tank engaging portion), 60 ... Through hole, 61 ... Recessed portion (first) Fitting part), 62 ... first uneven part (identification part), 63 ... ink supply container, 64 ... container body part, 65 ... ink outlet, 66 ... ink outlet forming part, 67 ... container addition part, 69 ... male screw part , 70 ... projection, 71 ... convex part (second fitting part), 72 ... second uneven part, 73 ... positioning part, 74 ... valve, 75 ... slit, 76 ... ink storage chamber, 113 ... tank side positioning part, 119 ... Entrance forming part, 121 ... Adapter side position Deciding part, IK ... ink.

Claims (20)

An ink supply container for supplying ink to an ink tank capable of storing ink therein,
A container body having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be supplied to the ink tank;
An ink outlet forming portion provided at an end portion of the container main body portion and formed with an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink containing chamber;
A valve that is provided in the ink outlet forming portion and seals the ink outlet so as to be openable and closable;
With
The ink outlet forming portion includes a positioning portion outside the ink outlet forming portion and at a position closer to the container body portion than the valve in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet. An ink supply container, wherein the valve is positioned with respect to the ink tank by contacting a part of the ink tank when the valve is opened.   The valve is configured such that one or more slits are provided in an elastic member that seals the ink outlet, and the slit is opened by being spread from the outside to the inside of the ink outlet. The ink supply container according to claim 1.   The said positioning part is provided so that it may be located in the radial direction outer side of the said ink outlet when the said ink outlet is seen in the direction of the center axis | shaft. Ink supply container.   The ink supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the positioning portion is formed of a member different from the ink outlet forming portion. An ink storage chamber capable of storing ink; a needle extending with a flow path communicating between the inside and the outside of the ink storage chamber; and the needle at a position outside the tip of the needle in the extending direction of the needle A receiving surface extending in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the ink tank extends, and the receiving surface forms the part on the ink tank side, and
An ink supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
With
The ink replenishing system, wherein the positioning portion abuts on the receiving surface when the needle inserts a tip into the ink outlet and opens the valve. The ink tank has a recess that opens in a direction in which the needle extends in a region outside the needle in a radial direction centered on the needle,
The ink replenishing container has a convex portion that can be fitted into the concave portion when the tip is inserted into the ink outlet in a region outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet. The ink supply system according to claim 5, further comprising:   The ink supply container includes the positioning portion at a position on the outer side of the ink outlet forming portion and on the container main body side of the convex portion in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet. The ink supply system according to claim 6.   The ink supply system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the ink tank has a tip of the needle positioned closer to the ink storage chamber than the receiving surface.   The ink tank is composed of two flow paths in which the flow paths of the needles are arranged in a radial direction with the opening of each flow path centered on the needle, and one of the flow paths distributes ink. The ink supply system according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the other flow path functions as an air flow path through which air flows when the ink flow path functions. An ink storage chamber capable of storing ink, an ink inlet allowing ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a recess formed in a region outside the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet And an ink tank having
An ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be replenished to the ink tank; an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber; and an outer side of the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet; An ink replenishing container having a convex portion formed so as to be able to fit into the concave portion in a region to be formed;
With
The ink tank includes a first concavo-convex portion on the inner surface of the concave portion at a position closer to the bottom surface than the opening edge of the concave portion,
2. The ink supply system according to claim 1, wherein the ink supply container is provided with a second concavo-convex portion that can be engaged with the first concavo-convex portion of the ink tank. The ink tank is provided such that the depth direction of the recess is the direction of the central axis of the ink inlet, and the first uneven portion extends on the inner surface of the recess along the depth direction of the recess,
In the ink supply container, the ink outlet is connected to the ink inlet when the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion and the second concave and convex portion is engaged with the first concave and convex portion. The ink supply system according to claim 10.   The depth direction of the concave portion in the ink tank is a direction from the upper side to the lower side intersecting a horizontal direction in a state where the ink outlet is connected to the ink inlet. Ink supply system. An ink storage chamber in which ink can be stored; an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber; and an ink inlet that is disposed outside the ink inlet in a radial direction around the ink inlet. A plurality of first fitting portions formed to be point-symmetric with respect to the center, and an ink tank comprising:
An ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be replenished to the ink tank; an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber; and an outer side of the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet; An ink supply container comprising: a second fitting portion formed so as to be able to be fitted to the first fitting portion in a region to be formed;
An ink replenishing system comprising: An ink storage chamber capable of storing ink; an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber; and a second region formed outside the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet. An ink tank provided with one fitting portion;
An ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be replenished to the ink tank; an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber; and an outer side of the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet; An ink supply container comprising: a second fitting portion formed so as to be able to be fitted to the first fitting portion in a region to be formed;
With
The ink tank has a first portion indicating information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber,
The ink supply container has a second portion indicating information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber,
The first portion and the second portion are provided at positions that are visible from the outside when the first fitting portion of the ink supply container is fitted to the second fitting portion of the ink tank. An ink replenishing system. An ink storage chamber capable of storing ink, an ink inlet allowing ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a recess formed in a region outside the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet And an ink tank comprising:
An ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be replenished to the ink tank; an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber; and an outer side of the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet; An ink replenishing container provided with a convex portion that can be fitted to the concave portion in a region to be formed;
With
The ink supply system, wherein the convex portion protrudes in a direction opposite to the ink storage chamber from the ink outlet in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet.   7. The ink supply container according to claim 6, wherein the convex portion projects outward from an outer peripheral surface of a container main body portion in which the ink storage chamber is provided in a radial direction centering on the ink outlet. The ink supply system according to any one of 7, 10 to 12, and 15.   7. The ink supply container according to claim 6, wherein the convex portion is formed inside an outer peripheral surface of a container main body portion in which the ink storage chamber is provided in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet. , 7, 10-12, or 15. The ink replenishing system according to any one of the above. An ink supply adapter for connecting between the ink supply container and the ink tank when supplying ink from the ink supply container to the ink tank;
A tank engaging portion that can be engaged with a plurality of ink tanks having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink in a batch state;
A plurality of ink inlets provided for each of the ink tanks to allow the ink flowing out from the ink outlet of the ink supply container to flow into the ink storage chamber;
A plurality of identification units that are provided for each of the plurality of ink inlets and that can identify the ink supply container having the ink outlets connectable to the ink inlets;
An adapter for ink supply characterized by comprising: An ink replenishing adapter mounted on the ink tank in a state where ink is replenished from the ink replenishing container to the ink tank,
The ink inlet channel provided in the ink tank can be inserted so that the ink can flow into the ink storage chamber provided in the ink tank, and at least a part of the periphery of the ink inlet channel is provided. An enclosing entrance forming section;
An adapter-side positioning portion that is engageable with a tank-side positioning portion provided in the ink tank, and that positions the ink supply adapter relative to the ink tank;
An identification unit capable of identifying the ink supply container having an ink outlet connectable to the ink inlet channel unit;
An ink replenishing adapter characterized by comprising: A plurality of the inlet forming portions;
The identification part corresponding to a plurality of the inlet forming parts;
The ink replenishing adapter according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of adapter side positioning portions are integrally formed.